"Forensic science was not developed by scientists"

Forensic science was not developed by scientists. It was mostly created by cops, who were guided by little more than common sense. And as hundreds of criminal cases begin to unravel, many established forensic practices are coming under fire. PM takes an in-depth look at the shaky science that has put innocent people behind bars.

Glenn and I interviewed Bill Bass a while back, who is the author of many books, including the popular Death's Acre. He spoke to us about the "CSI effect," which often leads juries and other people to expect cases to be solved immediately using the latest forensic science but the truth is, as Popular Mechanics points out, this science can be shaky. TV shows that make solving crimes seem easy are often just plain wrong.

On top of some of the "science" being on shaky grounds, lots of the forensic examiners are not going to be up to the presumed standards of the people in such shows, and many of the tests they routinely perform are not going to be done, simply because most of the time, there is not enough evidence to justify the expense.